In the rank of ships, nobody messed with the first ships of the line; usually four gun decks mounting 100 or more big cannon. Slow plowing beasts of the sea, but impervious to all things except nature and other first ships of the line; more or less transport banks at the time. Frigates were fast by comparison and in the role of fending off the pirate wolves from the merchant fleet or scouting for the ships of the line. The US could not afford to build a ship of the line, so built the Fat Frigate that could stand no chance against a ship of the line but that could out run them and any frigate at the time plus outgun any frigate at the time. The pirates at the time stood no chance and against a ship of the line or a frigate, let alone a USN “Fat Frigate“. The sole survivor being the USS Constitution. My reckoning is that the early Fat Frigates of the USN set the concept of the later USN Cruiser; know as the fleet “greyhounds“. Pleasure to have served on the last of them, the USS Canberra. Teak decks, big guns, fast, more or less n‘ maybe; the old gals could not run as fast as the big fleet dogs anymore, and going out to take a fight or pick a fight, more the latter than the former, but Ok.
Scamp
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I'd rather be a hammer than a nail, yes I would, I really would.
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